Too Much To Ask
by Lightning Sage
Summary: [COMPLETE] What happens when a girl from Seto Kaiba's past comes back to haunt him?
1. Lonely

This story was inspired by Avril Lavigne's song, _Too Much To Ask_. If you would like to read this story in its original songfic form, check my profile for the link to my AFF . net profile.

**Disclaimer: **The characters from Yu-Gi-Oh! are the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi. The lyrics from _Too Much To Ask_ are the intellectual property of Avril Lavigne. This story, along with the original character Eshe Tutankhka, are the intellectual property of Lightning Sage. Do not copy this story, in part or in its entirety.

Disclaimer applies to the whole story.

* * *

_**Too Much To Ask**_

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Chapter 1: Lonely

* * *

_Eshe's Point of View_

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At last, I'm moving to Domino City. I'm finally going to get to see Seto again.

I pulled up to the curb of my new house on Main Street, taking a step out of my VW Bug. It wasn't a very big house, but it was satisfactory.

It took me a lot of hard work to get myself where I am. I am a successful music star, thanks to my enthusiasm and dedication to the world of music. My devotion to literature and poetry also helped me to become the flourishing songwriter that I am. I travel to places around the world approximately one time per month to perform. People pay very good money to see me. I no longer need to take many journeys out of the country. The _people_ come to see _me_, instead.

I wanted a place to settle that would be somewhat quiet. I did not want to be constantly pestered by fans. In truth, I love my fans; I just don't like them ceaselessly badgering me for autographs. I know Domino City is rather large, but there are so many other important people in the area, that I will seem like an average person.

For example, Seto Kaiba, the C.E.O. of Kaiba Corporation, is one of the big guys in the area. His celebrity status dwarves mine. In addition, there's that kid, Yugi Muto, who is the Duel Monsters Champion. Supposedly he beat Seto at Duel Monsters; now he has claimed the title as the number one duelist in the entire world.

I unlocked the door to my house, motioning for the porters to start moving my belongings inside. They started with some of the heavier furniture, grunting and groaning as they went. They carried the fixtures into my house, making sure not to scratch the polished floor. Their flushed faces glistened with sweat.

I had to do a _lot_ of begging to convince my stepparents to let me move here. I persuaded them when I assured them that I'd have more privacy in Japan than I would in England, where they lived. I told them that I'd pay for everything myself, and that I'd call if I had any trouble.

The real reason I've come to Japan is to see Seto. I hear about him on TV all the time, and see his face on the screen nearly every day. But I can tell something's wrong with him. I've known for quite a while now. It's been bugging me for years, and I've been longing to see him again in person. I've known him for nine years, and his temperament has changed dramatically. I can see it in his eyes. I want to be there to help him.

I decided I should pay him a visit today, and maybe surprise him. But I'm feeling rather nervous. I haven't seen him in six years. He's the only real friend I ever had, and we seem to have lost touch over the passing years.

I'm almost always surrounded by fans, people who adore me. I like that feeling, that feeling of acceptance, that feeling of being admired.

But it's not real.

This feeling of acceptance--it's not real. My fans don't admire _me_, they admire my _music_. Everyone who wants to be my friend--it's because of my music. And my celebrity status. They don't want to be friends with _me_.

That's why Seto was different. He knew _me_ before I became famous. He respected _me_, because of who I was, because of my personality. He was the only one that would talk to me, or have anything to do with _me_ before I became a well-known music star.

All of a sudden--BOOM! I became famous, my CDs were selling faster than any other young artist in England. Then, suddenly, everyone wanted to be my friend.

And I let them. I let them become my "friend." I let people, even the ones who were cruel to me in school, take advantage of my superstar status, and be my "friend."

I just had to get away from that school. In my old school, London High, I was the center of an endless swarm of bees. Instead, I'll go to Domino High to finish my remaining year of high school.

A few hours later the moving crew completed their grueling task of moving all of my belongings. I paid them each a gracious tip and thanked them for their help.

I knew Seto was a busy man, so I decided that it would be considerate to call him before barging into his office. Besides, if he didn't know I was coming, his guards probably wouldn't let me through.

I had his personal phone number, from many years ago, stuffed inside one of my bags. He'd given it to me before he and his brother, Mokuba, left with Gozaburo Kaiba…

_

* * *

_

It was a bright, sunny day. It was a little humid, due to the downpour the city of Tokyo, Japan. There was a rainbow, stretching across the sky, radiating with a beautiful light.

_I was sitting on one of the swings outside of the orphanage, talking to Mokuba, who was sitting on the swing next to mine._

_"I can't wait till tomorrow," Mokuba declared._

_"How come?" I asked._

_"Don't you know what tomorrow is?"_

_I thought about it for a minute, my expression slightly curious. Tomorrow was October 25…_

_"Oh, I know!" I exclaimed, my face brightening with recognition. "It's Seto's birthday tomorrow!"_

_"Yup," he agreed. "Look what I got him…"_

_I gasped when Mokuba revealed a stack of strange-looking cards. "They're called Duel Monsters cards," he explained. "He's been wanting a deck of his own for a while, because they've been advertising them a lot on TV. But you know the orphans are forbidden to leave the orphanage grounds. . ."_

_"You. . .left?" I whispered, still shocked._

_"Yeah. I snuck out a few nights ago. I bought them using the money I've been saving up."_

_"Mokuba, you shouldn't have done that!" I chastised. "You could've been caught! Can you imagine what kind of trouble you could've been in?"_

_"But I wasn't caught, so relax, Eshe," he responded._

_I sighed. No matter how good Mokuba's intentions were, I was sure this wouldn't bode well with Seto._

_Seto approached me from behind, grasping my shoulders. "AHH!" I screamed, tumbling from the swing._

_"Hey, what were you guys whispering about?" he inquired._

_"Nothing," we both responded hastily._

_Seto eyed us, his eyebrows furrowed with suspicion. "Aw, c'mon guys! You can tell me!"_

_"It's a surprise," Mokuba blurted out._

_Seto raised an eyebrow. "A surprise?" he repeated. "What do you mean?"_

_"I can't tell you yet…"_

_Seto blinked in confusion. "Hey, what are you hiding behind your back, Mokie?" he wondered, noticing Mokuba's concealed hands._

_"Nothing."_

_"Don't tell me 'nothing.' What are you hiding?"_

_Mokuba groaned. "I guess I'm busted." He grabbed Seto's hand, placing the Duel Monsters cards inside of it. "Happy early birthday, Big Brother!" Seto's hand closed around the cards, and he brought them up to his face to examine them._

_"Wow! Duel Monsters cards?" he cried, his eyes glowing with animation. "Where'd you get these, Mokie?"_

_"From some convenience store…"_

_"Mokuba! You know you're not supposed to leave the orphanage grounds!"_

_Mokuba averted his eyes, his head held abate. "I know, Big Brother. I'm sorry."_

_Abruptly Seto wrapped his little brother in a warm hug. "Thank you so much, Mokie. This means so much to me."_

_Mokuba glanced up, his eyes watery. "Really?"_

_Seto nodded. "Yes, really."_

_The two brothers stood like that for a minute, embracing each other. At last they released each other, and the three of us walked over and took a seat on a bench._

_"So, what's up, Seto?" I asked. "I thought you'd be inside right now bugging Mr. Kaiba with questions about chess."_

_"I did," Seto replied carefully. "I can't believe he actually visited OUR orphanage."_

_"Yeah," Mokuba chimed in. "I think he donated some of his money to this place."_

_"Well, I guess he's making things a little better for us," I remarked. "After all, this place could use some renovating."_

_Seto didn't respond. He merely sat there, staring at his shoes._

_"Seto, what's wrong?" I questioned._

_Seto finally looked up at me, his gaze meeting mine. "You, Mokuba, and I are going to be adopted."_

_I sat there in complete shock, having difficulty absorbing the information. "What?!"_

_"You heard me," he responded icily. "I challenged Gozaburo Kaiba to a chess match, making him promise that if I won, he'd have to adopt you, Mokuba, and I. I won."_

_"Seto…I don't know what to say…"_

_"It's our ticket out of this place, Eshe."_

_"Okay," I acceded. "Let's all go together."_

_The three of us walked back into the orphanage, greeting Gozaburo Kaiba at the door._

_"Mr. Kaiba, this is Eshe," Seto proclaimed, gesturing towards me, "and this is Mokuba." Mokuba gave a small wave. "They're the two people that I was talking about earlier."_

_Gozaburo glared at me. "You're a girl," he stated flatly._

_"Yes, I am, sir," I responded politely._

_"I will NOT adopt a GIRL!" Gozaburo thundered. "It's enough already that I have to adopt you two brats!" Gozaburo slapped me across the face. I cringed, my cheek stinging. "Get out of my sight, you little monster!" he spat._

_I sat there, on the cold, hard floor, weeping. I made no attempt to move; I was scared, curled up in a ball._

_"GO!" Gozaburo roared, only causing me to sob harder. He kicked me in the ribs, making me slump further towards the floor._

_I couldn't move. A sharp pain pierced my body. I lay there, my ribs smarting and aching. Gozaburo made another move to attack me, but Seto stepped in between us._

_"STOP!" he yelled. "Don't hurt her!"_

_"Get out of my way, boy!" Gozaburo snarled. "Or you'll be next!"_

_"No!" Seto objected. "I won't let you hurt her!"_

_"Then maybe I shouldn't adopt her, or else I can GUARANTEE she will be hurt."_

_Seto stared down at me helplessly, knowing he was defeated. "I'm sorry, Eshe."_

_"You also may want to reconsider having me adopt you and your little brother," Gozaburo continued._

_I stared at Seto, my eyes pleading for him to stay. _Don't do it, Seto. You know you'll get hurt…this guy is bad news.

_Seto turned back towards Gozaburo, his eyes filled with confidence. "Proceed with the adoption process. Eshe will not be included."_

_Gozaburo didn't seem surprised. "Are you sure?"_

_"Yes. Just don't hurt my brother. Leave him alone." Seto's assertive voice rang throughout the room. "Do we have a deal?"_

_Gozaburo smirked. "Yes. Indeed, we do." He spun on the heel of his polished shoe, and had disappeared within seconds._

_Mokuba was watching the entire conversation, his eyes wide with confusion. "What's going on, Seto?"_

_Seto reached out, clasping onto his little brother's hand. "You and I are going to be adopted, Mokuba. We're finally going to get somewhere in life," he whispered, his eyes glistening with tears. "We just have to stick together, okay?"_

_"What about Eshe?"_

_"She can't come, Mokuba. Gozaburo won't allow it."_

_Seto strode over and knelt beside me. "I'm sorry, Eshe. You can't come with us. You know what will happen if you do."_

_"I know," I responded, nodding. Abruptly I burst into tears, realizing what this meant for Seto. "Are you going to be okay?"_

_"Yes. Don't worry about me."_

_"Seto, please don't do this. Don't go," I begged him._

_"Eshe, I don't want to be stuck here forever. I want to BE somebody. I have a dream; someday, I want to help kids like us who don't have parents to take care of them. I want to build a nice orphanage, where the kids are happy and the staff is good. Someday, I hope that there won't be any more kids who suffer in a run-down orphanage like this."_

_It was true. The orphanage we had stayed in for the past few years was not good at all. The caretakers were mean; they made us do a lot of work during the week. Sometimes even on weekends. We had to clean the house, maintain the garden, make the beds; you name it. The work was rather taxing. In addition, the other kids were very cruel to the three of us. The bullied us, and we didn't even do anything to anger them. We were just…THERE._

_"Seto, are you sure about this?"_

_"Yes. I have to do this. It's the only way."_

_I dropped it from there. I knew Seto wasn't going to change his mind; once he makes up his mind about something, he refuses to back down. He is as stubborn as a bull._

I just hope they don't get hurt, _I thought_. Gozaburo Kaiba doesn't seem to like them very much. And I don't think he always keeps his promises. Seto, I hope you know what you're doing…

_I pulled Mokuba and Seto into a hug, despite the physical pain that it caused me. I didn't feel the physical pain as much; the emotional burden of seeing them leave was unbearable. I felt a ripping sensation tear through my heart. I didn't want to ever let go of them, but I knew I had to eventually._

_"I'm going to miss you guys so much," I sobbed, my eyes brimming with tears. "It's going to be so lonely here without you two to brighten up my day."_

_"Don't worry, we can keep in touch still," Seto suggested. He held out a piece of paper that had ten numbers scrawled onto it. "This is Gozaburo's personal phone number. You can reach us there. Try to call us, even if it's against orphanage rules."_

_"Where'd you get that number?"_

_"I saw it on the adoption papers," Seto explained. "So don't forget to call us every once in a while, if you ever get a chance."_

_"Okay."_

_"Yeah," Mokuba agreed. "We'd love to hear from you."_

_I finally released them from my grip. Gozaburo appeared again, waiting for the two newly inducted Kaiba family members. "Let's go," he grunted._

_"Goodbye, Eshe. We'll miss you," Seto told me, waving._

_"Bye, Eshe," was Mokuba's farewell._

_"Goodbye, you two. I hope I'll see you again someday," I murmured._

_"Don't worry. You will," Seto responded, winking._

_I didn't think this was possible at the time. I believed I was going to be in that disgusting orphanage for the rest of my life. When I was finally adopted my stepparents, however, I was given a spark of hope. I was adopted six months later by Mr. and Mrs. Abbott, a wealthy English family. The day I was adopted, I was taken to London, England. That day, I vowed that I would see Seto and Mokuba Kaiba again someday, even if it was the last thing I did._

_As soon as I got to my new home, I called the number that Seto had given me. Seto picked up the phone, speaking in a neutral voice. I noticed his voice had grown deeper and somewhat raspy._

_"Hello. Kaiba speaking."_

_"Seto! It's Eshe, do you remember me?"_

_"Eshe?" his voice brightened. "I can't believe it! How did you manage to call us?"_

_"I got adopted."_

_"Really? That's fantastic, Eshe! Is the family nice?"_

_"Yes, they're quite remarkable people. I was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Abbott, of England."_

_"Wow! I've heard of them! They're really rich and famous!"_

_"That's right. So, how are you doing?"_

_"…I'm doing fine," came Seto's hesitant reply. His voice became noticeably downcast._

_"Seto? Are you sure? You don't sound fine…"_

_"I'm fine…really."_

_"Seto, are you sure there isn't something you want to talk about?" I asked, feeling worried._

_"I'm sure. The mansion's great and everything; there's so much cool machinery here."_

_"How is Mokuba? Can I talk to him?"_

_"No, sorry. He's sleeping. There's a time difference, you know. It's about ten o'clock here right now."_

_"Oh, I am so sorry, Seto. Did I wake you?"_

_"No, not at all."_

_I was concerned about Seto. Something didn't sound right. His voice was lifeless, and I could feel his sorrow even through the phone line. There was silence for a moment, until I heard a terrible shrieking._

_"Brat, what are you doing?! Get down here right now!!"_

_My blood froze. I knew that voice. That was the voice of Gozaburo Kaiba._

_Seto's breathing quickened. "Uh-oh, I gotta go, Eshe. Tell me your number quickly, and I'll call you later," he promised._

_I told him my number, and he memorized it. I often wondered how he was able to memorize so many things. He has a gift, I suppose._

_"Don't call me again. I'll call you. Gozaburo doesn't like me to use the phone," he informed me._

_"BOY, WHO ARE YOU ON THE PHONE WITH?" came Gozaburo's thundering voice._

_There was a sudden click; Seto had hung up_. I hope he doesn't get into trouble,_ I thought, panicking._ I'd never forgive myself if he got beaten because of _my_ call.

_Deep down, I knew what consequences awaited Seto. I broke down crying, tears streaming down my cheeks. "My Ra, Seto. I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "Ra, please help Seto. Don't let him be hurt."_

_Seto promised to call me that day. Days passed, weeks passed, MONTHS passed. I never heard from Seto. I knew Seto would never deliberately leave me in the dark like that. That's when I decided to risk another call, a year later. I just HAD to make sure he was okay._

_But I knew he wasn't okay. Something was wrong. Seto was in trouble._

* * *

I sighed. I knew it wasn't good to dwell on the past, but I couldn't help it. If only I had tried to talk Seto out of going with Gozaburo. If only I had prevented him from walking into the clutches of that evil man. If only I had _done_ something about what was happening to Seto, he might actually be _happy_ now.

Because I knew he wasn't happy. Not now, not since he was adopted by Gozaburo. Seto has been ripped apart on the inside, beaten from both the inside and outside. What Gozaburo did affected him to the very core.

And now Gozaburo was gone. He got his just desserts.

But that didn't wash away the agony Seto went through all those years. Gozaburo continues to influence Seto to this very day.

And I am going to put an end to Gozaburo's evil once for all.

* * *

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	2. Memories

_**Too Much To Ask**_

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Chapter 2: Memories

* * *

_Eshe's Point Of View_

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I'm watching Seto on TV as he gives a speech about the upcoming Battle City Tournament that he's hosting. He is making the announcement from one of his blimps, looking as elegant as ever.

The commencement of the Battle City Tournament is tomorrow. I know he's going to be busy with that until the finals end. I doubt I'll ever get through to him if I just _call_ him.

So I've decided to enter the tournament myself. I have some experience playing Duel Monsters, although it wasn't that popular back at England. I will have to hone my skills if I want to make it to the Battle City Finals and meet Seto in person.

_Wait a minute,_ I realized. _The duelists registered to compete in the Battle City Tournament are all top-rate duelists. They have tons of experience with Duel Monsters, and most of them are champions. I mean, Yugi Muto will be there, the Duel Monsters Champion of the world. And then there's Joey Wheeler, who took second place in Duelist Kingdom. There's Weevil Underwood, Rex Raptor, Mai Valentine--they're all bound to be there. And there's Seto Kaiba himself. I'll never make it to the finals…there has to be another way…_

I grabbed my cell phoneand flipped it open. I dialed the number that Seto gave me that day, six years ago. The ten digits had been burned into my memory, recorded with the accuracy of the most advanced computers in the world. Now, the memory was brighter than ever, as a punched in those ten numbers into my cell phone. On the third ring, a cool, crisp voice initiated the conversation.

"Look, I don't know how you got this number, but if you call again, I will track you down and make sure you go to jail for interrupting--"

"Seto?" I interrupted, my voice hesitant.

"Who is this? I demand to know your name!" was Seto's cold reply.

_-"Hello. Kaiba speaking."-_

His voice had undergone a complete transformation over the years. It was no longer the open, friendly voice I once knew and held so dearly. _This_ voice was cold, hard, and distant. It seemed like a completely different person. But deep down, I knew it was Seto.

"This is Eshe," I replied calmly. "Eshe Tutankhka. Do you remember me, Seto?"

I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "What's the meaning of this?" he stipulated, his voice icy.

_-"Seto! It's Eshe; do you remember me?"_

_"Eshe?" His voice had brightened considerably, in comparison to the dull tone he had used at the beginning of the call. "I can't believe it! How did you manage to call us?"-_

What happened to that, 'I'm glad to hear from you!' kind of thing? _What happened to you, Seto?_ I wondered.

"I was wondering if we could get together for lunch," I explained. "I just moved to Japan last week. I'd love it if Mokuba could come, too. I wanted to catch up on what happened over the past few years." Although Seto was waiting patiently for me to finish, I could sense his distrust. Who could blame him, though? I'm sure there are always people after his money. After all, I haven't talked to him in about six years; of course he's going to be suspicious.

"Eshe, I'm a very busy man. I have a job to do. I don't have time for lunch dates with people who I haven't spoken to in years. I don't have time for people like _you_ who are after my money, _snaking_ their way back into my life _to take advantage of me_."

Seto's words hit me as though he were ripping my heart in half. The agony of those years that he spent with Gozaburo poured out of that sentence. The bitterness and anger it caused him soaked every word.

I wanted my Seto back. I wanted back the sweet boy with a heart of gold, who had a little brother with a heart equally as warm. I wanted back the boy who cared for his brother more than anything. I wanted back the person who valued _friendship_.

Though the shock silenced me for a moment, I retaliated as soon as it wore away.

"You didn't call me. You told me you would call me, because I couldn't call you. I understand that you couldn't use the phone because Gozaburo wouldn't allow it. But you _never_ called me, not even _after Gozaburo's death!_"

"Tutankhka, if you don't stop harassing me, I will block your number from this phone and report you to the police," he responded, his voice livid. "If need be, I will have you arrested. I can have you evicted from your house AND Japan in a matter of minutes."

I froze. Seto _never_ called me by my last name. He's only done that once in all the years I've known him, and it was because he was seriously pissed. It's a day I will never forget…

_-It was a dark, gloomy day in December. I was sitting on a swing when I heard somebody whimpering in a nearby alley, accompanied by three angry voices._

_"Give us your money, kid!"_

_"No… please don't hurt me…"_

_There was a quiet snickering. "So you want to take us up on that offer for a knuckle sandwich, punk?"_

_"You dare defy us?"_

_I quietly treaded near the alley opening and glanced around the corner. I saw Mokuba, being held against the wall by two older kids, and the third one standing in Mokuba's face, a smirk plastered on his face. I felt my body freeze; I couldn't move. I panicked, staring helplessly at Mokuba's weak body. A sharp crunch jolted me out of my terror, only to replace it with alarm and dread. I watched as Mokuba slumped towards the ground, blood pouring out of his nose. His right arm hung lifelessly at his side._

_Horrified, I ran for help. I ran straight to where I knew Seto would be, in the lounge, studying Gozaburo Kaiba's chess strategies._

_"Seto!" I gasped. "Mokuba--"_

_Seto stared up at me, troubled by my panting. "Eshe, calm down. What happened?"_

_"Mokuba--he's been hurt. Some bullies picked a fight with him," I explained quickly._

_"Where?" he demanded, rising from his seat._

_"Follow me!" I bolted towards the alley, Seto following at my heels._

_When we finally arrived at the alley, we found Mokuba leaning against the wall, apparently unconscious._

_"What happened to him?" he asked me through his clenched teeth. I saw a spark of anger in his eyes that I'd never seen before. "Tell me what happened to him, Tutankhka!"_

_"T-there were b-big kids," I sobbed. "They beat up Mokuba. They asked him for his m-money. I think they b-broke his arm."_

_Suddenly, Seto seized my shirt collar, pushing me up against the wall. His nose was centimeters from mine; I could feel his breath crawling down my neck, sending shivers down my spine._

_"Why didn't you help him?" he growled, his voice husky. "Why didn't you help my brother, Tutankhka?" His voice was bitter as he spat out my last name, as if it were a curse._

_"I-I couldn't, Seto!" I stuttered, my voice pleading. "They were t-too big! I couldn't do anything!"_

_"Did you even TRY to help him?" he thundered. Seto's voice was twisted with hate. He shook me as he spoke, causing my head to slam into the wall. "NO! You didn't! If you had, my brother wouldn't have A BROKEN ARM!!"_

_I felt myself cringe as his words hit me like a blow to the stomach. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks as I spoke to him for the last time that week. "I'm sorry, Seto."_

_"DON'T call me that, Tutankhka!" he interjected, releasing me roughly. "Get out of my sight before you have a REAL problem!"_

_I fled. I scurried away, fearful of what might happen if I didn't. As much as I wanted to make sure Mokuba was okay, I ran.-_

"You wouldn't force me out of here, Seto," a responded, my voice confident.

"Don't call me that, Tutankhka!" he shrieked. "Don't call me again! Leave Mokuba and me alone, got it?" He hung up, slamming the phone onto the receiver.

_-"DON'T call me that, Tutankhka! Get out of my sight before you have a REAL problem!"-_

"All right," I whispered. "I'm sorry…"

I switched off my cell phone, tears raining down onto the floor.

I guess I'll have to move onto Plan B: Enter the Battle City Tournament.

* * *

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	3. First Duel

_**Too Much To Ask**_

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Chapter 3: First Duel

* * *

_Eshe's POV_

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Today marked the commencement of the Battle City Tournament. I have already received my duel disk system. My primary objective is to obtain a total of six locater cards and enter the finals. I'm not too shabby of a duelist myself; so if I set my sights on devouring easy prey, I can dig up my tickets to the finals with ease…right?

Okay, to say the very least, I'm nervous. It's kind of been a while since I last dueled.

But I have to do this. For Seto's sake.

I know Seto's been suffering for the past few years. I've sensed his bitterness and despair. I've been aware of the anguish he's endured, both physical and mental. And it's all been a direct and indirect result of Gozaburo's cruelty towards him. I don't know exactly what Gozaburo did to Seto, but I _do_ know that what he did was absolutely horrible.

The worst part of this whole scenario is that I can't prove anything. And for whatever reason, Seto's been keeping quiet about Gozaburo's crimes.

* * *

As I took my first step into Battle City, I observed hundreds of duelists roaming the grounds. Already there were duels going on. I caught glimpse of Yugi Muto dueling some guy wearing weird robes. I shook my head in disgust. That guy _really_ needs a new wardrobe.

I strained my eyes to see through the crowd that surrounded the dueling field that Yugi and his opponent were playing on. From what I could make out, Exodia the Forbidden One's head was played on the robed man's side of the field. He must be really desperate if he was forced to play such a weak card by itself.

I was strutting down the road when I discovered a lonely-looking boy carrying a duel disk. I sprinted in order to catch up with him.

"Hey, how many locater cards do you have, kid?" I inquired, a friendly smile plastered on my face.

"I have two," the boy replied timidly.

"Well, I only have one locater card," I responded. "You wanna duel for it?"

"All right."

I took my stance about twenty feet away from him, initiating the duel system. The two of us slipped our decks into the duel system, then drew five cards.

"By the way, I didn't catch your name," I called out to him.

"I'm Hiroshi Hiroko. And you are…?"

"Eshe Tutankhka," I stated.

Hiroshi's eyes widened. "You're the musician girl! My sister absolutely loved your most recent album. I can't believe I'm actually meeting you!"

I grinned sheepishly. I'm well known in _Japan_! "So would you like to go first, or shall I?" I asked.

"You can go first," Hiroshi complied.

I drew a single card from my deck and glanced at my current hand, which consisted of Luminous Spark, Maha Vailo, Neo the Magic Swordsman, Axe of Despair, Graceful Charity, and Mystical Elf.

"I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn," I stated, placing my Mystical Elf sideways on the duel disk.

Hiroshi drew a card. "I attack with Axe Raider!" he announced. The warrior, which had 1700 attack points, made its attempt to slice through my facedown card, but made no progress. His attack was deflected by my headstrong Mystical Elf, causing Hiroshi to lose three hundred life points.

"I place two cards face down and end my turn."

I extracted yet another card from my deck; it was my other Axe of Despair. It made the perfect addition to my Maha Vailo card. My Luminous Spark field card would cause an additional increase in Maha Vailo's attack power.

"First, I activate Luminous Spark," I declared, "which raises the attack power of all light monsters by 500. Then I'll summon Maha Vailo to the field in attack mode."

Maha Vailo appeared on the playing field, looking powerful and bold, until the image of the spellcaster flickered.

"I activate Trap Hole," Hiroshi countered. I watched in horror as my monster stumbled into an abyss. "It destroys your monster because its attack power is greater 1000."

"Okay, I'll end my turn, then," I pronounced dejectedly.

"I summon Dark Blade in attack mode." The ferocious beast emerged, swinging its swords with confidence and agility. "I'll attack your Mystical Elf with my Axe Raider. Go, my mighty warrior! Slay that blond witch!"

"Who do you think you are, calling my monster a witch?" I demanded. "She withstood your attack before; why attack again?"

Hiroshi gave me a weak smile. "You'll see," he assured me.

Hiroshi's monster sliced through my elf with ease. The Mystical Elf vanished, leaving me wide open for a direct attack.

"Your Luminous Spark lowers the defense power of all light monsters by 400 points, making my warrior powerful enough to defeat it," he explained.

_Damn! I forgot about that!_

"Now, Dark Blade, attack Eshe's life points directly!" he ordered.

Hiroshi's beast advanced towards me, striking the center of my duel disk. I was already down to 2200 life points.

"I place one card face down before completing my turn."

I pulled Monster Reborn from my deck. _Good. This will come in handy later._

"I activate Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw three cards and discard two."

I withdrew three cards from the top of my deck, which included Dark Hole, Magician of Faith, and yet another Maha Vailo. I sent Neo the Magic Swordsman and Dark Hole to the card graveyard.

"I summon Maha Vailo. I'll equip him with the magic card, Axe of Despair, which raises his attack power by 1000 points."

"I activate Magic Jammer," Hiroshi cut in, interrupting my spellcaster's power boost. "By discarding one of the cards in my hand, I can negate the activation of your magic card. I knew you were planning on using a magic card in your hand to power up you monster as soon as you summoned Maha Vailo. Everyone knows that Maha Vailo gets 500 extra attack points for every card equipped to it."

"It doesn't matter. My monster is still more powerful than both of yours because of my Luminous Spark. Plus, I'll outfit my monster with my other Axe of Despair. Now Maha Vailo has an attack power of 3550. Maha Vailo, attack Dark Blade!"

A burst of electricity exploded from Maha Vailo's fingertips, exorcising the dreadful beast that had occupied Hiroshi's side of the field. His life points dropped down to 1950.

Hiroshi groaned, reeling from his loss. "Are you done?"

"Yes."

Glancing at the card he'd just drawn, Hiroshi let out a sigh of exasperation. "I'll switch my monster to defense mode and end my turn."

After pulling out my next card, my hand was composed of Monster Reborn, Magician of Faith, and my rarest card, Chaos Command Magician.

"I'll set this card face down in defense mode," I began, positioning my Magician of Faith on the duel disk, "and attack your Axe Raider with Maha Vailo."

Once again electrons erupted from Maha Vailo's hands, eliminating Hiroshi's weaker monster.

_I wonder what that face down card is? Is it a trap?_ I pondered. _If it is, why hasn't he used it by now?_

Hiroshi's face brightened when he drew his next card, and eagerly slapped it onto the duel disk. "I'll put this in defense mode and end my turn."

_I definitely should not attack that monster. That kid was __way__ too excited when he drew it. He also desperately needs to learn how to do a poker face._

"I'll pass for now."

After taking one glance at his next card, Hiroshi let out a whoop of delight. "You're done for!" he shouted. "Once I flip summon Man-Eater Bug, I can destroy your Maha Vailo because of its special effect. Say 'goodbye' to your spellcaster!"

Maha Vailo vanished from the field, leaving my Magician of Faith the only monster protecting me.

"Next, I'll activate Delinquent Duo. At the cost of 1000 life points, I can randomly force you to discard one card from your hand. You must now send the card on your right to the graveyard!"

I slid the Change of Heart card that I'd drawn last turn into the slot on the duel disk where my other "dead" cards resided.

"Now you must discard yet another card from your hand."

I smirked, disposing of my Chaos Command Magician. _Next turn, I can revive it using Monster Reborn,_ I realized.

"Now, I'll activate my face down card, Call of the Haunted. I'll use it to resurrect my Dark Blade. Dark Blade, attack my opponent's face down card!"

My Magician of Faith cried out before disappearing into thin air. I can't stand watching my monsters being destroyed. I've just become so…_attached_ to them. They represent me, my heart, my soul. I can't bear to see them suffer. But soon, my Chaos Command Magician will avenge them.

The Chaos Command Magician is my favorite card. I feel connected to him. I can envision myself in his place, standing there, in his dark, shining armor. He stands with confidence, determination, and the firm belief that he is doing the right thing.

"When you attacked my magician, you activated her special ability. I can return one magic card from my graveyard to my hand. So I'll take back that Axe of Despair that you eliminated earlier."

"Shit," he cursed. "I thought I'd rendered your hand useless when I activated Delinquent Duo. You must have a level 4 monster in your hand, and you're planning to equip it with Axe of Despair. Am I right?"

"Not quite," I objected. "I'll activate Monster Reborn, and revive the monster that I discarded thanks to your Delinquent Duo. Meet my rarest card, Chaos Command Magician!"

My magician presented himself to the playing field, establishing himself in front of me. He stood erect, radiating with courage and certainty, guarding me from any harm.

"Now I'll endow him with the almighty Axe of Despair! His attack power climbs to 3900 with the addition of my Luminous Spark. Now, my magician, strike down his Man-Eater Bug!"

Using his powerful staff, he eradicated that awful beast. It was the final blow to Hiroshi's life points, bringing them down to zero. Hiroshi sunk to the floor, his body shaking like mad.

The bright dueling field vanished, and I walked over to Hiroshi's side, offering my hand to help him up.

"Thanks."

"It's been a pleasure dueling you," I told him, smiling. "It was definitely a tough one, though."

"It's my honor," he replied. "I never imagined you'd be an awesome musician AND a great duelist."

I blushed, unsure of how to respond.

"Here's your locater card. Oh yeah, and take my Delinquent Duo; it's my rarest card."

"No," I protested. "You keep it."

"But the rules of the Battle City Finals state…"

"Please, just keep it."

"Why are you letting me keep it?" he asked, his curious eyes boring into mine.

"Because. . ." I don't know why I'm doing this. I just don't feel right taking it. He's a nice kid; he doesn't deserve to lose such a rare card. I think it'll get him out of some tight spots if he uses it right. "Would you like an autograph for your sister?" I inquired, changing the subject.

Hiroshi's downcast eyes lit up. "Sure! It will totally blow her mind!"

I addressed a personal note to Hiroshi and his sister, and bid him farewell.

"Maybe we'll run into each other at another tournament?" Hiroshi wondered.

"I'm not sure. This may be a one-time thing for me."

"I see. Well, maybe I'll get lucky and see you at one of your concerts."

I grinned. "See ya!"

"'Bye!"

* * *

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	4. Second Duel

_**Too Much To Ask**_

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Chapter 4: Second Duel

* * *

_Eshe's Point Of View_

-

_Two locator cards…four more to go,_ I thought, feeling my lips curl into a small smile. _Once I obtain them, I will be guaranteed a spot in the Battle City Finals. That just __has__ to get Seto's attention._

After defeating Hiroshi, I continued my stroll down the busy street. It reminded me of New York City, where I'd done a few performances. There were people everywhere; cars were bumper-to-bumper, and horns were blaring. Huge buildings towered over the citizens of Battle City. I scanned the streets carefully, searching for my next opponent.

I immediately spotted a weak looking boy with greenish hair and round glasses. He had knobby elbows and knees. He was kneeling on the floor, looking rather depressed. I strode up to him confidently, offering a hand in greeting.

"Hello, my name is Eshe Tutankhka. Would you like to duel me for a locater card?" I asked him.

"_I_ am Weevil Underwood," he stated, his voice shrill. "I am the Champion of the Duel Monsters Regional…you're going to regret ever challenging _me_…"

_Weevil Underwood?_ I realized, my eyes widening. _Shoot…I didn't even recognize him…_

"I'll duel you on one condition," he continued. "We're not putting up our rarest cards…I already lost my precious Insect Queen to that bug, Wheeler…" Weevil's muttering about Wheeler carried on, followed by a string of _colorful_ words.

"All right," I agreed. "Let's duel."

The dueling system commenced, shooting out the hologram projectors on either side of the playing field. The two of us drew five cards; my hand contained Magician of Faith, Maha Vailo, Graceful Charity, Luminous Spark, and Spirit of the Harp.

"You can go first," Weevil told me. "You'll need all the help you can get."

I snorted, positioning my Spirit of the Harp face down on the duel disk. "I place one card face down in defense mode," I announced. "Your turn."

"I put a monster in defense mode," he sneered. His ugly face twisted into a wide smirk. "And I'll place one card face down."

_He must be planning something,_ I thought. _But what could it be…?_

I drew a card, which was Neo, the Magic Swordsman. "I play Neo, the Magic Swordsman, in attack mode!" I shouted.

_To heck with it, I may as well attack._

"Attack, my mighty warrior!" Just as the swordsman lunged towards his target, he was blocked by a trio of females. They appeared to be praying.

"I activate Waboku! Your attack inflicts no damage," Weevil proclaimed.

_His voice is already getting on my nerves!_

Weevil's insect-based deck proved to be quite difficult to compete with. His insect warriors were full of surprises and special effects. His additional trap and magic cards aided him well; even the spellcasters in my deck that I once viewed as indestructible had been defeated.

My only hope was my Chaos Command Magician.

I had managed to summon him onto the field. My second Luminous Spark was also in play, giving him an attack power of 2900.

I've got the match in the bag, right? There's only a few cards that have an attack power higher than 2900.

And unfortunately, Weevil happened to have one of those cards on his side of the field. His Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth hovered protectively in front of that green-haired dung beetle, even as it was trapped behind my Swords of Revealing Light.

I had one turn to draw an Axe of Despair.

But I knew I wouldn't draw it. I had already used both of my Axes of Despair. And my Magician of Faith had been destroyed earlier, so I could not even use her effect to bring back my Axe of Despair.

I knew there was no way that I could win, but I refused to surrender. I'd do anything for another opportunity to speak to Seto. To help him through whatever he's going through.

On my final turn, I drew my Black Pendant card. I attached it to my Chaos Command Magician, raising his attack power to 3400.

I only needed one hundred additional attack points to destroy Weevil's Great Moth, even if my magician was obliterated in the process.

I was going to lose.

"Attack, my precious Moth!" Weevil screeched. Its wings fluttered, waving its poisonous dust in the direction of my magician. The Chaos Command Magician remained steadfast for several seconds, using every ounce of his willpower to fight off the attack. Finally, with a resonating cry, my magician was annihilated.

The holograms faded away, and I fell to my knees, tears pouring down my cheeks.

"Cough'em up," Weevil ordered. "Gimme your locator card."

I chucked the stupid plastic card at him, still sobbing.

_How am I going to get to the Battle City Finals now? I only have one locator card…it's virtually impossible for a mediocre duelist like me to obtain six of them…_

I sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

I know Joey kicked Weevil out of the Battle City Tournament, but for the purposes of this fic, let's pretend Weevil still had one locator card left.

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	5. First Duel Déjà Vu

_**Too Much To Ask**_

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Chapter 5: First Duel Déjà Vu

* * *

_Eshe's Point of View_

-

It was useless. There was no way I would ever be able to win six locator cards. Not at this rate. Tears streamed down my cheeks. _I'm just not good enough._

But how can I help Seto if I don't enter the Battle City Finals? He won't talk to me, otherwise.

I have to figure out _something_.

"Eshe?"

I looked up. Hiroshi Hiroko was standing above me, his eyes filled with concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I lost my locator card to Weevil Underwood…" I replied solemnly.

"And you're crying?" he cried incredulously. "It's just a game."

"I'm not playing for myself."

"I see."

I shook my head. "I'd better get going back home."

"'Home'?" Hiroshi repeated. "Why?"

"There's no way I'll make it to the Battle City Finals."

"Not with that attitude," he retorted.

I didn't ask him to remind me of my failure. I turned away glumly. My feet carried me in the opposite direction.

"I challenge you to a duel."

I wheeled around. "Again?" I asked, skeptical.

Hiroshi nodded curtly. "Again. If I beat you, I take your locator card, knocking you out of the tournament. If you beat me, you get the _two_ locator cards that I've acquired."

"That doesn't seem fair at all."

"Hey, _you_ got the better end of the deal, Missy," Hiroshi responded indignantly. "So don't complain."

"I decline your challenge to duel," I told him wearily.

"You're not allowed to," he shot back, a small smirk playing at his lips. "It's against Battle City Tournament Rules."

I sighed, reluctantly stepping up to duel him. We initiated our dueling systems. Ten seconds later, our duel commenced.

I don't know why he asked me to duel him again, even though I'd beaten him. Did he really think he'd win against me? My Chaos Command Magician saved me in the end, as usual.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead. I had to give Hiroshi credit. He _had_ gotten stronger since our last duel. But he still lost.

"Your two locator cards," he stated, handing them to me.

I pushed them back. "I can't take these."

"Why not?" he inquired.

"Why did you want to duel me again?"

"I thought I could beat you with my newest rare card, Black Hole," he replied hesitantly. "I guess I didn't draw it in time."

_But I had just beaten him about an hour before. Why would he still want to duel me and risk losing his locator cards?_

"Take them!" he ordered, shoving the two plastic pieces in my face. "I'm not leaving until you do."

"Fine!" I huffed. "I'll take one." I handed the other one back to him.

"Now you're one-third of the way to the Battle City Finals," he remarked. "Are you still in this tournament or not?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes."

Hiroshi grinned. "Good. Maybe I'll see you in the Finals, then."

A strange sense of foreboding made its way into my conscious thought. "I'll see you at my next concert."

* * *

**Hiroshi:** Well, we saw a bit of a 180 on Hiroshi's personality. At first he comes off shy, but then he suddenly becomes more confident when he's around Eshe, because he knows her a bit better after their first duel. And the reason he challenged Eshe a second time was partly because he wanted to prove to himself that he could beat her, and partly because he knew it was the push Eshe needed to start dueling again. He could sense, based on what Eshe told him, that it wasn't so much about winning or losing. He could tell there was something more than she was telling him, and since he couldn't convince her to keep trying, he thought that dueling her would help her. Even if she lost, he wouldn't have taken her locator card. And he knew also, that in the case he lost, she wouldn't take both his locator cards, just based on how Eshe handled herself earlier with the rare card rule.

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	6. Fourth Duel, First Sight

_**Too Much To Ask**_

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Chapter 6: Fourth Duel, First Sight

* * *

_Eshe's Point of View_

-

"Damn it!"

I was observing a duel between Rex Raptor and some other kid I didn't know. Raptor had just lost the rest of his life points.

"Hand'em over, Dino-freak!"

_Harsh._

Raptor whimpered as he handed over one locator card, and his rarest card, the Two-Headed King Rex. "I can't believe I lost to a nobody," he grumbled.

I think I'll challenge Rex Raptor to a duel. I've seen him duel before--his deck consists of dinosaur-type monsters. His deck strategy is Beat-Down, so he relies heavily on the brute force of his monsters.

Besides, his deck is pretty pathetic now. His rarest card had a measly 1600 attack points. And since my deck is loaded with magic cards to tip the duel in my favor, there's no way I'll lose.

"Are you Rex Raptor?" I asked the shaggy-haired boy, who was kneeling on the ground.

"What's it to you?" he asked through clenched teeth. "Can't you see I'm busy?!"

Yup. It was Rex Raptor, all right. He was known for his explosive temper.

"Would you care to duel me for two locator cards?"

"No," he retorted. "I'm going to find Weevil Underwood and make myself personally responsible for kicking him out of this tournament!"

"Don't waste your time," I told him. "He's already qualified for the Finals."

"WHAT?!" Rex exclaimed. "I have to win four more locator cards!!"

"You'll get half of that if you duel me and win."

"Fine."

Raptor finally stood, and we both switched on our duel discs. We each drew five cards from our decks, and the duel began.

"I'll go first," I declared. I drew a card.

_Perfect._

I already had this match won. In my hand, I held my Chaos Command Magician, Monster Reborn, Mystical Elf, Magician of Faith, Axe of Despair, and Luminous Spark.

Rex was actually dumb enough to attack the Mystical Elf I had positioned in defense mode; the deflected damage resulted in him losing 800 life points.

I won next turn.

It was kind of pathetic, actually. Rex had underestimated me, thinking I was a complete novice.

I guess that's where the expression, "Good things come in small packages" came from.

"Your locator cards, please." A polite request.

"Bitch…" he cursed.

"It's not my fault you can't duel your way out of a paper bag," I responded icily. "Give me your locator cards!" A strict demand.

He flung them in the opposite direction, as hard as he could. "DAMN IT!"

Calmly, I retrieved the two plastic cards. "I guess now you've lost to _two_ 'nobodies'."

Raptor's eyes narrowed dangerously, his irises turning opaque.

_I should probably leave now, before he REALLY gets angry…_

I strode away briskly, and soon lost myself in my own thoughts.

_I've got four locator cards now. I'm almost there. I'll I've got to do is beat a couple of low-level duelists, and I'll guarantee my spot in the Finals. I just have to make sure I don't duel anyone who's good._

I found myself inside the stadium for the water show. I noticed two people in the center of a pool, dueling. The dark-haired man had a giant whale at his side, where as the blond-haired man had a few…Scapegoats?

I squinted my eyes, struggling to make out the faces, but to no avail. Instead, I made my way closer.

The man with the black hair was Mako Tsunami, a duelist with a sea-based deck. I've seen him duel before--he's pretty good.

The blonde was Joey Wheeler! I couldn't believe it…I was watching the very person who won second place in Duelist Kingdom!

It seemed like Wheeler had the disadvantage. After all, Mako had that Fortress Whale on his side of the field. It was kind of surprising--after all, Mako wasn't even a finalist in Duelist Kingdom.

I guess I was wrong. All of a sudden, Wheeler pulled a Panther Warrior-Kunai Chain combo, giving his Panther Warrior the power boost he needed to defeat Mako's Fortress Whale.

But alas, Mako was determined to win that duel. He played Return of the Doomed, a magic card that could revive any one of his monsters from the graveyard, for the cost of 800 life points. He hid his creature underneath the water that covered the playing field.

On Wheeler's final turn, he played Giant Trunade, causing Mako's field card, Umi, to be sent back to his hand. As a result, Mako's Legendary Fisherman, now lowered back down to its original 1850 attack power, was revealed. Joey attacked with his Panther Warrior, and Mako's life points dropped down to zero.

At first I could've sworn Mako was crying when he lost. But it must've been a figment of my imagination, because seconds later, he was grinning from ear to ear. He seemed to be taking his defeat in good spirits, and was very pleasant when he handed over his two locator cards and his two rarest cards to Wheeler.

_I wish all my opponents were that nice,_ I thought, groaning inwardly.

I decided to exit the stadium, before the crowd got bad.

I halted abruptly.

Seto Kaiba was across the street.

There was no mistaking him. His white trench coat flowed behind him, and his icy gaze swept the city with a computer-like analysis. He appeared to be walking with Yugi Muto, the world's number one duelist.

_Since when did Yugi and Seto become friends?_ I wondered.

The two of them had grave expressions. Clearly, there was something wrong.

I was tempted to walk over and ask if there was anything I could do to help, but I refrained. Seto would absolutely _freak_ if he saw me.

But then again, would he even _recognize_ me?

_Don't be silly,_ I chided myself. _Of course he'll recognize you._

_All the more reason to stay out of sight…_

I sighed. _I'll stay away from him, for now,_ I promised myself. _But the time will come when I have to face him._

* * *

**Eshe:** Eshe's self-esteem fluctuates a LOT throughout this story, as you can see. When she wins a duel, she's ecstatic--almost to the point that she becomes overconfident. When she loses, she seems to lose all hope. Her self-esteem relies very much on her success/failure. But even in her failure, she's always trying to think of a way to get through to Seto.

I know Eshe won her duel with Rex VERY easily…It would've been a lot harder if Rex didn't have such a, uh…crappy deck. And honestly, in the TV Show/anime, Rex Raptor does strike me as kind of dense. Underestimating a random duelist who he wasn't familiar with is something he would do. And obviously, Eshe's new tactic is to strike the weakest prey she can find. She won't duel anybody who she knows she can't beat. She'll only duel people she knows she won't even break a sweat dueling. It's the only way she can ensure that she makes it to the Battle City Finals.

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	7. Puzzle, God Cards…?

_**Too Much To Ask**_

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Chapter 7: Puzzle, God Cards…?

* * *

_Eshe's Point of View_

-

_I've got four locator cards, and two to go…_

_So hopefully, that means I only have to duel, at most, twice more. But maybe I can get the rest of the locator cards in one duel, and then I won't have to worry…_

I've been watching all the duels I pass very carefully, in hope of catching a weak duelist with one or more locator cards. Unfortunately, most of the weak duelists have lost all of their locator cards.

I can see that there is a duel going on at the top of a tall building. I saw one of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragons come to life, and immediately I knew one of the duelists was Seto Kaiba.

I debated whether or not I should go up to watch the duel. I couldn't afford to get caught. But at the same time, I wanted to see Seto again _so_ badly!

I quietly made my way up the staircase, and at the top, I opened the door so that it was ajar.

Just as I'd expected, Seto Kaiba was there. He was dueling two robed men. I think they were dueling on teams, based on the turn rotation. I recognized Yugi Mutou, who was on Seto's side, by his wild tri-colored hair.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon was no longer on the playing field.

It seemed like the two robed men were winning. I couldn't believe it. Yugi and Seto were supposed to be the best duelists in the world, and these two unknown men were wiping the floors with them.

I watched intently as Yugi's Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Magnet Warriors merged into one bigger Magnet Warrior, which attacked the ferocious beast on the side of the robed men. Suddenly, a hideous-looking mask attached to Yugi's Magnet Warrior. The Magnet Warrior appeared to have sided with the robed men.

Yugi and Seto were completely defenseless. The tall robed man attacked Yugi with the Magnet Warrior, but Yugi played Diffusion, halting the attack and causing the Magnet Warrior to split into the three original monsters, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.

_On their next turn, they could lose the duel,_ I realized.

Seto drew from his deck. His eyes widened suddenly, and I knew he had uncovered a strategy to win the duel. His eyes sparkled with triumph. He played a magic card, so he was able to sacrifice the Magnet Warriors, even though they were under the control of the robed men. Then, he summoned the biggest Duel Monster I've ever seen in my entire life. Light shot from the ground, and bolts of lightning erupted from the sky. He called the monster Obelisk the Tormentor. I've never heard of it before, but it's extremely powerful nonetheless. Obelisk wiped out the tall robed man's life points with a single swing of its fist.

Truly remarkable.

Suddenly, the glass beneath the tall robed man shattered, and he fell into the dark abyss below.

I stifled a gasp of horror. _What kind of duel is this?_

The shorter robed man did nothing on his next turn. He simply whimpered, crying for his partner to come back to him.

When Seto's next turn finally arrived, he was ready to attack the other robed man with Obelisk, but Yugi stopped him.

"If we spare him, perhaps he will tell us where our friends are."

_Seto has __friends__?_

I'm surprised, because he seems so distant when I see him on television. It doesn't make sense…

All of a sudden, the short robed man started screaming in agony, clawing at his face. Abruptly his screaming ceased, and he began to speak, but his voice had changed slightly…it was almost dead sounding.

"Marik, tell me where my friends are!!" Yugi demanded.

So this robed man is named Marik…

Seto strode up to Marik and grabbed him by the lapel. "Where's my little brother?!" he shouted.

Maniacal laughter exploded from Marik's throat. "Pharaoh, your Puzzle and Egyptian God Card will be mine!" he cackled. "And so will your God Card, Seto Kaiba."

_Puzzle? God Cards?_

_Mokuba's missing!!_ I realized suddenly. Fear gripped my throat.

_Oh, gods…I hope nothing happened to Mokuba! He means everything to Seto! He's such an innocent little boy; how did he get in such a mess in the first place…?_

_What is going on, here?_

Something's wrong. Very wrong.

_I have to do __something__!!_

* * *

**Eshe:** You might have noticed that last chapter Eshe wondered "Since when did Yugi and Seto become friends?" Poor, misinformed, ignorant Eshe. Obviously, Yugi and Seto are not friends. Eshe just assumes stuff based on what she sees, which is a bit of a personality flaw on her part. I guess that was another way of me showing that she isn't perfect, and has her flaws. And now Eshe also thinks that Lumis (or Umbra, I forget which is which, sorry) is Marik…lol, Eshe is confuzzled…

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	8. SING!

_**Too Much To Ask**_

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Chapter 8: SING!

* * *

_Eshe's Point of View_

-

_Ra, damn it! Why does everything have to go wrong all at once?_

Mokuba's gone missing, and only Marik seems to know where he is.

And Marik is currently lying on the floor. I think he's passed out.

I realized suddenly that I wasn't in a very good position--Kaiba and Yugi could come down this staircase any moment. I flew down the stairs, quite literally; I tripped at the very bottom, scraping my knees and hands. Blood seeped from the wounds, but at least the cuts were shallow.

I carefully picked myself up from the floor and calmly continued my walk through Battle City.

_Now, to find myself another opponent…_

It's getting pretty late in the day, meaning there are only a few more locator cards floating around that have not yet been secured by a finalist. I'm pretty sure Seto and Yugi already are qualified for the Finals, and Joey Wheeler probably is, too. And I'm sure there's other hotshot duelists like Weevil that are qualified or nearly qualified. It's highly unlikely that I will face a weak duelist.

There was an incessant shouting that hit my ears like background static. I figured it was a random irate duelist who had just lost his locator cards.

"Hey, you! Girl with the dark hair!!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. I cast a cautious glance over my shoulder to see a cute-looking British guy running up to me.

"Are you a Battle City duelist?" he asked me.

"Yes, I am," I told him, smiling brightly.

He grinned back. He was wearing dark glasses, so I couldn't see his eyes. "How many locator cards do you have?"

"I have four."

"That's awesome! You're almost qualified as a finalist!"

"Yeah, I guess so."

The guy draped his arm casually around my shoulder, as if we were buddies, and started leading me towards a part of Battle City that I was unfamiliar. But that little fact hadn't dawned on me consciously at the time; he had me thoroughly distracted with his idle conversation.

I was getting kind of freaked out. I mean, what the hell was this guy doing? Sure, he was cute, and all…but his arm around my shoulder felt entirely too intimate for someone whose name I didn't know. And was currently talking to me and asking me questions, while he himself was not yielding any information.

Abruptly, the guy pushed me against a…tombstone??

My head hit the stone with a sharp crunch, leaving me dazed for a second. The next thing I knew, he was making a grab for my duel disc and purse, which held my locator cards…

My locator cards!!

Reflexively, I punched him square in the solarplexis. He backed away immediately, clutching his stomach and gasping for air.

When Seto and Mokuba left the orphanage, a lot of the boys picked on me because Seto wasn't there to help protect me anymore. They would always pull my hair and beat me up, but I eventually learned a few ways to make them back off.

And at the same time, I could do what I love: SING!!

Solarplexis.

Instep.

Nose (or Neck).

Groin.

Some of the foremost vulnerable hit points on the body. And I figured that out just through simple trial and error. The solarplexis is great, because it's impossible to build up muscle around it or strengthen it.

"You want my locator cards?" I challenged him. "Then duel me for them!"

"I don't have any locator cards…" he wheezed.

"So then buzz off and learn to duel for real!"

"That's no way to talk to my friend!" a ghostly voice interrupted.

Somebody was approaching from the graveyard. He looked like what I'd imagine a ghost would look like. And he was in serious need of a new haircut.

The breath caught in my throat.

"My name is Bonz," the ghostly boy acknowledged. "I have two locator cards. I hear you have acquired four. I would like you to duel me for my cards…in the CEMETARY OF THE DEAD!!"

I suppressed a fit of laughter. Seriously, did he think he could scare me just because his sense of style was so outdated that the dead people in this cemetery were cringing?

"Fine," I agreed. "Let's get this over with."

And our duel began.

Bonz's deck was entirely zombie-based, which was really no surprise (I mean, he was practically one OF the living dead). But on the brighter side, literally, I was able to successfully use my Luminous Spark field card to change the field to my advantage. Which really screwed up Bonz's strategy, since nearly all of his monsters were weakened by the newfound glow. Even his magic and trap cards were pretty useless, since I was able to counter most of the nasty ones with a Magic Jammer or Tools of Bandit.

When Bonz's life points finally dropped to zero, I was relieved. I finally was eligible to enter the Battle City Finals!!

Out of nowhere, a solid object connected with the back of my head. Excruciating pain coursed through my body, and I fell to my knees.

My vision faded…I was seeing red.

Then I saw nothing.

* * *

Even though Mokuba has technically been rescued at this point, Eshe does not yet know that.

**Story Chronology:** Eshe has reached Bonz and his buddies and taken their locator cards before Bakura got a chance to. Sorry Bakura--you snooze (literally), you lose! If Bakura had met Bonz a half hour earlier, he would be the one going to the finals!! But right now, Eshe is KO, so I'll just leave it at that, and make you wonder what happened to her and what will happen until next chapter.

Also, Eshe is an idiot (as you may have noticed)--but hey, she's a teenager, she's got hormones, and when a hot guy comes up to her and puts an arm around her shoulder, she can't help but be interested…at first. But logic seems to dawn on her a bit late, ne?

Anyone catch on the Ms. Congeniality allusion I made? I couldn't resist, Eshe being a singer and all…though honestly, I think the 'S' might've been 'stomach'…but I can't remember exactly. But I am a martial artist, and those are all really vulnerable places (especially the groin, lol!).

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	9. We're Dueling in the SKY?

_**Too Much To Ask**_

-

Chapter 9: We're Dueling in the _Sky_?

* * *

_Eshe's Point of View_

-

I was very _rudely_ awakened by someone splashing water in my face.

"What the hell…?" My body shot upright, my eyes wide like saucers.

"Oh, good, you're awake."

Great, another Brit…I think I've had enough of them for one day.

A young boy with snowy white hair loomed in my face, smiling sweetly.

I was on my feet immediately. "What do you want?"

"Are these yours?" He held up six locator cards.

My locator cards!

I searched frantically for my purse, which, I realized, was in his other hand.

"Yeah…so is the purse."

He handed me my belongings.

"Thank you."

He flashed another friendly smile at me, but stood there silently, an awkward stillness between us.

"So…you've qualified for the Battle City Finals."

"Yeah," I replied nonchalantly. "Are you a duelist as well?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid I'm not much of a duelist…"

"I see."

"Would you duel me for a locator card? I'll probably just lose, anyway…"

_No way am I risking my locator cards!_

I sighed. "No, sorry. I have to make sure I hold onto these things," I told him, putting the locator cards back in my purse.

"Of course," he replied, ducking his head sheepishly. "It was silly of me to ask. After almost losing them to those bums, I'm sure you'd want to be extra careful."

"Yeah…what happened to them, anyway?"

The boy smiled faintly. "I took care of them."

"Both of them?" I asked, awestruck.

"All three of them," he corrected.

"There were _three_ of them?"

"Yes; I can't believe they'd gang up on a nice girl like you."

I blushed slightly. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."

"It's Bakura."

What an odd name for a British lad.

"Well, Bakura," I held up my hand, and he shook it, "thank you for returning my locator cards to me, and getting rid of those thugs. You must have some awesome Karate skills or something to be able to fend off multiple attackers."

Bakura laughed. "Well, I don't know about that…"

"How many locator cards do you have?"

"I don't have any, actually."

"How did you expect to obtain any?" I asked incredulously. "Technically, you've been kicked out of the tournament."

A darkness passed over Bakura's eyes that I couldn't identify. He seemed a bit lost in his thoughts.

"Bakura? Are you okay?"

"You didn't tell me your name."

"My name is Eshe," I told him, embarrassed. "Sorry."

That darkness passed over his eyes again.

"I'm sorry, Eshe…but I've got to go," he sputtered. I could see traces of fear in his eyes. "Maybe I'll see you around."

"See ya…"

He ran off.

_What was __that__ all about…?_

I hurried out of the cemetery area myself. I wanted to get away from that place and go somewhere that had civilization.

I stopped and sat down on a bench in the park. I took the locator cards out of my purse and held them in my hand.

_Aren't these things supposed to tell me where the Battle City Finals are?_

The sun was setting in the distance, all of the pinks, oranges, blues, and a tinge of violet melding in the atmosphere. It was a truly magnificent sight. Darkness shrouded the sky, but the sun still stood out, a bright, luminous, light. I was captivated by its phosphorescent glow.

_Hey…these locator cards are the same size as my Duel Monsters cards…_

I placed the locator cards on my duel disc, and a bright, shining light projected onto the ground.

"It's a map of Battle City…" I said breathlessly.

It's a good thing I can follow directions, or I would have never found my way.

Not that I can follow directions _well_…It took me a good hour to find the place, since I am not familiar at all with any of the areas of Japan outside of my immediate residence.

As I entered the stadium, I prayed silently that I wasn't the last one to arrive.

There were already at least seven people there, by the looks of it, but not all of them were wearing duel discs. I only counted four duel discs…worn by Seto, Yugi, Wheeler, and a female duelist. Oh, wait…I recognize her…she was another one of the finalists in Pegasus' Duelist Kingdom Tournament. Her name is Mai Valentine. She's another tough duelist, even if she dresses a bit…unconservatively.

I recognized Bakura, who was standing with Yugi and Wheeler.

"Oh, hello, Eshe," he greeted me. "Fancy meeting you here."

"I didn't expect to find you here," I admitted. "I thought you didn't have any locator cards."

"That's true," he replied. "I'm friends with Yugi and Joey."

I blinked. "Are you serious?"

"Yugi, Joey, this is Eshe," he said, introducing me to the two duelists.

I shook their hands. "It's an honor to meet you both."

Yugi only giggled and blushed, while Joey puffed his chest out proudly. "Well, I _was_ runner-up in Duelist Kingdom," Joey boasted.

I struggled not to roll my eyes. Who knew Joey Wheeler was so _full_ of himself?

Another duelist, with platinum blonde hair entered the dueling arena. He had bright lavender eyes, and a periwinkle shirt that brought out the violet flecks in his eyes.

"Hey, it's Namu!" Joey shouted. He and the dark-haired girl ran up to the duelist named Namu. "Thanks for helpin' out Bakura, man."

Bakura walked up to Namu timidly. "So you're the lad who saved my life, huh?"

"Oh, it was nothing, really," Namu insisted. "I just did what anybody would've done."

_So Namu saved Bakura, and Bakura saved me…what a freaky coincidence._

"So you're the guy Joey and Téa have been talking about," Yugi remarked. "Well, Namu, any friend of Joey and Téa is a buddy of mine."

_I guess the brunette is Téa, then…_

"Well, I guess you made it to the finals after all, Namu," Joey stated.

"Yes," Namu agreed. "I couldn't believe it when I finally got my sixth locator card."

The wind picked up suddenly, sharp gusts tugging out my jacket. A tall, cloaked man entered the stadium. Everyone inside had stopped talking.

_What the hell is going on…?_

"Who are you?" Seto demanded icily. "State your name at once!"

"I am Marik Ishtar."

_Marik?! I thought he was that short dude in the cloak!_

"It looks like you don't have any friends here, Tattoo-Face!" Mokuba called out shrilly.

Mokuba?

My eyes shot in the direction of the young voice.

He's alive!! He's okay!!

A small smile of relief crossed my face.

I wonder if Seto recognized me?

"I should disqualify you now for hacking into my computer system and for kidnapping Mokuba," Seto continued, "but you have something I want."

Marik simply dismissed Seto's words and stood there, his arms crossed.

_What does Seto want from Marik?_

I couldn't worry about that right now. What if Seto wanted to disqualify _me_ for entering his tournament?

I glanced over at Seto worriedly, but frigid glare yielded no emotions except for anger and distrust. He seemed to be glowering at nothing in particular; he must be thinking about something.

I noticed a rather large blimp in the sky, heading towards our direction.

"Attention, all duelists," Seto's associate spoke. "Although your locator cards led you here, this is _not_ the location of the Battle City Finals."

"Please standby for embarkation of KaibaCraft 3!" Mokuba announced.

The blimp was getting larger.

"We're dueling in the _sky_?" Yugi asked.

"That's right!" Mokuba responded excitedly, his eyes bright with animation. The blimp finally landed. "Now get on board for the start of the Battle City Finals!!"

* * *

I know some people call Mai "slutty" because of the way she dresses, but I had Eshe call her "unconservative" instead, just to show that she respects Mai as a duelist.

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	10. So How Do We Get This Thing Running Agai...

_**Too Much To Ask**_

-

Chapter 10: So How Do We Get This Thing Running Again?

* * *

_Eshe's Point of View_

-

Although not all of the Battle City Finalists were present, we embarked KaibaCraft 3 nonetheless. A delectable buffet awaited us onboard. Joey immediately sprinted to the closest table containing food and dug in, quite literally.

Seto merely stood in the corner the entire time, glaring at the wall on the other side of the room. I yearned to approach him, to say something, but currently I was not in a position of authority. It would be best to wait before we had at least reached a higher altitude--he couldn't exactly throw me off the blimp then.

Apparently the eighth duelist arrived just in time before our takeoff, but I couldn't see who it was. Judging by her clothing, she was female, but I couldn't tell anything more.

I spotted Mokuba near one of the buffet tables; he had finally left Seto's side to get something to eat. Before I could stop and contemplate my decision, I had approached him, and was positioned at his right side.

"Hello, Mokuba," I greeted him warmly.

Mokuba glanced up at me warily. Recognition flickered through his eyes briefly, but was followed by evident confusion.

"Do you remember me?"

"Should I?" he retorted.

_My, hasn't he gotten snippety over these past few years?_

"It's Eshe," I whispered. "Eshe Tutankhka."

Mokuba's eyes widened suddenly. "I'm not supposed to talk to you," he mumbled.

"Why not?" I demanded.

"Seto said that you would try to approach me," Mokuba replied. "But still, I'm not allowed to talk to you. Bye, Eshe."

I was _so_ close to picking up something, _anything_ to chuck across the room and knock some sense into Seto's thick skull!! That cold-blooded, arrogant bastard! Who does he think he is, pitting his little brother against me?!

Seto's associate, Roland, got our attention again after the feast was over. He explained to us that the selection of each duelist's opponent was completely random. Two numbered balls popped out of the selection machine's mouth, which was the shape of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"The first duel of the Battle City Finals will be…Joey Wheeler versus Marik Ishtar!" Roland shouted. He then proceeded to give Joey and Marik directions to the dueling platform, and gave the others separate directions so that they could watch the duel.

I followed Yugi and the others to the elevator. Everyone tried to cram into the elevator at once, but I couldn't fit in, since I was last in line to get in. I frowned slightly.

_Of course, __I'm__ the only one stuck behind._

The elevator doors shut.

"Don't worry, we can take the next one up."

I jumped, whirling around.

I stopped cold. It was Seto.

I nearly blurted out his name, but I forced a smile on my face to match the one on his.

_Why is he suddenly being so nice…?_

"Nice tournament you're running," I remarked, breaking the silence.

"Thank you."

"Good food, too."

"Thank you."

"It seems like you put a lot of hard work into this whole thing."

"I did."

_Can we stop with the two-word answers??_

"How come you didn't eat anything from the buffet?"

"I wasn't hungry."

_Good, we're making progress--three words._

"It seems like Mokuba's working hard, too."

"He is."

_Oh, no…back down to two words._

A light flashed accompanied by a short beep that echoed slightly in my ears as the elevator returned.

"After you," Seto stated, gesturing towards the doorway.

I stepped into the elevator, and he followed. The two doors closed, and we ascended slightly when Seto tripped over my foot and hit a button on the elevator wall, causing the transportation device to jerk to a stop.

"Oh, no," he sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I hit the emergency stop button, which turns off the cameras in the elevator." He glared at me, our eyes locking. The color surrounding his irises was filled with sheer iciness, glazed over by a vibrant anger of fire.

"Well, well, if it isn't Eshe Tutankhka once again, meddling in affairs that don't concern her," he drawled. "Mind telling me why your were interrogating my little brother?"

"I wasn't 'interrogating' him," I spat. "I was simply asking him how he was, seeing that I haven't talked to him SIX YEARS!"

"And now, suddenly, you want to be his friend?" he asked coolly.

"Not suddenly," I retorted. "All this time."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, TUTANKHKA?!" he demanded. He grabbed my shirt collar and began shaking me. "People don't just randomly show up to see old friends after six years if they don't want something in return!"

"I do want something," I told him defiantly. "I want your friendship in return for mine."

"I have no room in my life for an abstract idea such as friendship," Seto responded icily. "I've got a company to run."

"Everyone needs friendship!" I exclaimed. "Everyone needs to love and be loved! People _need_ people, whether they like or not!"

"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed.

"Seto, what happened to you?" I asked him. I could feel tears filling in my eyes, threatening to spill. "What did Gozaburo do to you?"

"_Don't say his name_!" he growled, his voice dangerously low.

"What?" I taunted. I knew I was playing on dangerous grounds, trying to push Seto off the deep end. I thought that maybe, just maybe if I pushed hard enough, he would break down and tell me everything. "_Gozaburo_, the man who you let ruin your life?"

He drew back his fist and clobbered me, his fist connecting with my cheekbone.

_Well, I certainly did not see __that__ coming…_

"What the hell did you do that for?!" I shouted, rubbing my bruised cheek.

"I _told_ you not to say his name." He responded as if that justified his actions.

Silence stretched between us. We simply glared at each other, his eyes filled with obvious distrust, and mine probably filled with hurt, betrayal.

"So how do we get this elevator running again?"

* * *

**Seto Kaiba:** When I originally wrote this, my interpretation of Kaiba wasn't the greatest. I apologize for his OOCness here.

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	11. A Horrible Fate…Just Forget It

_**Too Much To Ask**_

-

Chapter 11: A Horrible Fate…Just Forget It

* * *

_Eshe's Point of View_

-

"Do you think this is a joke?" Seto spat.

"Of course not," I retorted. "I'm sitting here with a swollen cheek." I rubbed the bruised flesh and winced, feeling a sharp pain shoot through my entire head. I can't believe he hit me.

"I could have broken your T.M.J. if I had moved my fist to the right once centimeter when I struck you."

"Don't act like you've spared me from some horrible fate."

He paused for a moment, a faraway look in his eyes. "I did."

He wasn't talking about the punch anymore.

"Did you ever wonder if it would've been any better if we'd been able to face him together?" I blurted out.

Seto looked at me sharply. "That's impossible," he responded bitterly. "He didn't want another person, never mind a _girl_ around to waste his time. He hated all people, especially girls. You'd be dead."

"But why did you have to seal your fate and go with that evil son of a bitch, just to be killed yourself?!" I demanded. "You didn't have to risk Mokuba, and you didn't have to sacrifice yourself!"

"I'm not dead yet," he snapped. "Unless _you're_ planning on killing me."

"Don't be stupid."

"I am merely stating what you implied in a more straightforward manner."

"They say you're a supposed genius, but for a genius, you can be pretty dense."

"What's that supposed to mean?" His voice was dangerously low.

"Like I said, you didn't have to sell your soul to the Devil just to get some money and fame."

"You think I did this to get money and fame?!" he snarled. I cringed slightly. He looked about ready to pounce at me again. He laughed sardonically, his eyes devoid of emotion. "You think I _want_ to be in all the newspaper tabloids? Do you think I _wanted_ to run a multi-million dollar corporation when I was not even a legal adult? Who would? But I do it for Mokuba. I do it to make sure he's well fed, has clothes and shelter, and gets the best education possible. I do it to make sure he's _happy_. I do it so he can have the childhood I didn't have. I do it so that maybe someday, orphans like us won't have to grow up in the dump we did. I do it so little kids won't be adopted by ruthless, careless, or abusive parents. I do it to rid the world of people like…like _him_!"

I stared at Seto in awe. "Seto…" I reached to gently touch his shoulder.

He jerked away. "Forget everything I just said," he growled through clenched teeth. "Just forget it!" He bent down to busy himself with fixing the elevator.

I sunk to the floor in the corner of the elevator, feeling discouraged. _At least he's starting to open up a bit…_

* * *

It was weird; as I was typing this, when Eshe said, "Don't act like you've spared me from some horrible fate," I had intended that she was talking about how Seto chose not to shatter her jaw, simply because she was being bitter and sarcastic. But right after I wrote it, I realized the second meaning it had, so that's why Seto answered, "I did," because he was referring to how he wouldn't let Eshe also become Gozaburo's victim.

As much as I _despise_ Gozaburo (him being a **-cough-**sh-ttybleepingS.O.B.ingbastard**-cough-**), sometimes I wonder about him, too--wonder what made _him_ the (do I have to type that out again?) that he is. **-twitch-** Uh-oh, I'm feeling a plot bunny nudging me…

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	12. Things Can't Get Any Weirder

**_Too Much To Ask_**

-

Chapter 12: Things Can't Get Any Weirder

* * *

_Eshe's Point of View_

-

Seto and I didn't speak for the rest of the ten minutes that it took for him to fix the elevator. _Maybe if I give him some space, he'll come around._

When the elevator was finally functioning again, it took us straight up to the top level of the blimp. Seto was immediately greeted by the arbitrator, Roland.

"Mr. Kaiba, are you all right, sir?" he asked breathlessly. "I heard there was a problem with the elevator."

"I'm fine," he responded curtly. "I take it you have not announced the commencement of the first duel?"

"No, sir. You instructed me to await your presence."

"Very well. Start the duel immediately."

And so the Battle City Finals began. I had a feeling the Joey was going to win, since he was runner up in Duelist Kingdom, but this Marik guy was plain creepy. I had a feeling there was more to him than met the eye. His eyes held a furtive glint, and there seemed to be something…sinister about him. Besides, Seto said that Marik had something he wanted.

I wish I knew what was going on.

Marik had Joey on the ropes even at the beginning of the duel. He kept playing cards I had never heard of before, and he had this field card that formed a huge temple behind him. It was all so confusing. On top of that Marik managed to play these cards that were monster cards as well as cards, but luckily Joey got his Jinzo on the field, which invalidates any trap cards. But Marik still had the upper hand, because he played this huge monster that kept destroying Joey's and taking half of their attack power. Joey was definitely in a tight spot.

It was kind of weird, because suddenly Marik stopped speaking for a minute and stared at Namu. I have no idea why. It was like he was having some sort of argument.

For a second I doubted that Marik had even stopped, because he declared the summoning of a card called The Winged Dragon of Ra. Dark clouds bundled together, and lightning erupted from the sky. The wind howled, but the booming thunder didn't lessen the intensity of the sonorous tempest.

_This is some pretty advanced virtual technology!_

Bolts of lightning escaped from the clouds, striking various spots of the dueling platform. One bolt hit Marik, who went down with a cry. Yugi gasped as the shiny gold stick in Marik's belt shattered into a thousand pieces as it hit the floor. Joey managed to dodge a few of the streaks of electrons, until he, too, was struck by the lightning. He fell to the ground with a resonating thud.

The stench of burnt flesh filled the atmosphere. I scrunched my nose in utter disgust.

"I cannot declare a winner, Mr. Kaiba," Roland announced. "Their life points are tied."

"Give them five minutes," Seto replied nonchalantly. "The first to wake is declared winner. If they both remain unconscious, we'll call it a tie."

Seto's statement resulted in cries of protests coming from Joey's friends, which Seto blatantly ignored. They all prayed for Joey wake up, murmuring words of encouragement as time passed.

_I remember back when Seto was like that--we were always rooting for each other, helping each other out when we could. I could always count on him, just as he could count on me._

Why doesn't he trust me anymore?

I saw Marik crack open one eye. Slowly, he pushed himself to his knees, and finally to his feet.

"And the winner is--"

Marik abruptly collapsed.

"One minute left," Roland proclaimed.

"Come on, Joey!" Téa pleaded. "Wake up!"

_I know this is an overused expression, but the tension is so thick, you could cut it with a knife._

_And this is all because of what Seto claims to be his state-of-the-art technology._

_It just doesn't make sense. If I know Seto, he'd want his duel disc to be absolutely flawless. How could he allow the possibility that the users could get hurt using it?_

"Twenty seconds left."

"Joey, wake up, man!" Tristan shouted frantically.

Then, almost robotically, Joey stood. His eyes were still closed.

"And the winner is Joey Wheeler!" Roland declared.

Joey's eyes shot open at the sound of his name. "What happened?"

"You won the duel, Big Brother!" I don't know her name, but I guess she's Joey's sister.

"Great job!" Yugi told enthusiastically.

"What happened to Marik?" Joey asked.

"He was knocked unconscious."

A maniacal cackle erupted from behind me. I whirled around to find Namu, snickering uncontrollably.

"You fools!" he snarled. "All this time you've thought I was your friend, when in fact, _I_ am Marik."

Ok…now I'm _really_ puzzled. First Marik was the short guy in the weird robes, then Marik was the tall bald guy with the weird robes, and now _Namu_ is Marik. And suddenly, the new Marik was in major need of hair gel, because his hair was sticking up in every which direction like a porcupine. And to be frank, he isn't the only one. I'd just as soon call Yugi 'Spiky,' with his multi-colored spiny hair.

But seriously, this whole thing is starting to get a little too weird for me. Seto's the only person here who's been semi-constant, and he won't even _talk_ to me.

Well, at least things can't get any weirder.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	13. The Result of a Technicality

**(Please read prior to Chapter 13):** I began writing this chapter over a year ago, but just recently I re-read TMTA and realized, _this story doesn't make sense_. I mean, the plot so far doesn't even pass as mediocre, and the pairing I had in mind just doesn't seem possible. I apologize to my readers--I totally messed up when developing Eshe Tutankhka's character. I cannot fathom Seto Kaiba ever having romantic interest in her (or any interest, period). She's a bad character for this story. To continue it how I'd originally intended would be an insult to the characters, especially Seto Kaiba. Now that I know and understand that my original SetoxEshe pairing doesn't work, I have two choices: 1) Rewrite the entire story with a new and improved Eshe (which would require a lot of time reinventing her personality/character), or 2) End the story _now_ with the most probable ending I can think of.

I choose option 2. I doubt there are any readers who are continuing this story from over a year ago--but in case there are, I want to finish what I've started. I'm warning you--this is probably not the ending you expect nor desire, but it is the best I can come up with, considering I don't have the time nor energy to completely rewrite the story.

* * *

**_Too Much To Ask_**

-

Chapter 13: The Result of a Technicality

* * *

_Eshe Tutankhka's Point of View_

-

As a result of random selection, I was scheduled to be in the second duel of the Battle City Finals.

My opponent: Yugi Mutou.

I don't have a chance at winning, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that I'm on this blimp, meaning I still have a chance to save Seto.

"Duelists, take your positions!" Roland shouted.

I walked up to the dueling platform, Yugi mirroring my movements. He looked very determined to win this duel, for whatever reason. Like I said, though, it doesn't matter to me whether he wins or loses. I am at a position of advantage, either way.

"Stop the duel," Seto ordered. All eyes turned to him.

"Is there a problem, Kaiba?" Yugi asked.

"As President of Kaiba Corporation and head of the Battle City Tournament, I declare this duel invalid!" Seto turned to Yugi. "As a result of disqualification, Yugi Mutou is the winner of this duel."

I _lost_? By _disqualification_?

"You can't disqualify me!" I sputtered.

"I just did." His tone was as icy as ever.

"On what grounds?" I demanded.

"You broke your duelist contract by entering under a false name, Eshe Tutankhka…or should I say, Eshe _Abbott_?"

"But…that's the name of my _adoptive_ parents," I argued, my voice breaking. Why is he doing this to me? Why is he pushing me away? I only want to _help_ him! "My name is Eshe Tutankhka, and you know that, Seto!"

"Regardless of what your 'real' name is, Eshe Abbott is your legal name, is it not?"

Tutankhka was my parents' last name--my biological parents. It's the name I always use, even on my albums. Unfortunately, Seto is correct--my legal name _is_ Abbott, which has been in effect since my stepparents adopted me.

But even if he's _technically_ correct, I'm not going down without a fight.

"So what if I used my real name instead of my legal name? There's nothing you can do about it," I said snidely. "I mean, it's not like you can throw me off the blimp."

Seto smirked. "You see, that's where you're wrong. First off, entry into my tournament clearly stipulates that each contestant inputs his or her legal name, as stated in Article I, Section 3 of the Battle City Duelist's Handbook." He paused for a brief moment before continuing. "Second, your most recent behavior has led me to believe that your presence threatens my safety." Seto shook his head. "You know, the first time you called me, I figured it was accidental--wrong numbers are commonalities. But then you kept dialing. I have pages and pages of records tracking all of the times you dialed my number and hung up before I could even hear the phone ring. I figured you were just a frequent alcoholic, and couldn't have cared less, as long as you weren't blocking my phone lines. But now, you show up to my tournament under a false identity. That leads me to question your sanity. As head of this tournament, I am entitled to put you in the psychiatric hospital on my blimp until we reach land and can transfer you to an appropriate mental hospital."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "Are you implying that I'm crazy?"

"I'm not implying anything, Eshe. You _are_ crazy."

Suddenly, a swarm of gloved hands wrapped around my body, as if to restrain me. I struggled to break free to no avail.

"Seto, why are you doing this to me?" I screamed, tears pouring from my eyes. "We used to be best friends. Don't you remember me?"

How could this happen? I'm not crazy!

"What a shame," he remarked. "Your music fans will be _so_ disappointed to learn that teen pop sensation 'Eshe Tutankhka' is mentally unstable."

I can't believe this. This is not the Seto I used to know. Gozaburo's hurt him far worse than I can possibly imagine.

Am I too late? Is Seto already gone?

No. He can't be gone. I refuse to believe that. He's just lying.

That's it. Seto's lying to me. He's lying to protect someone--himself, Mokuba, maybe even me.

Or maybe he doesn't realize he's lying. He's lying to himself but doesn't realize it.

"Seto, I'm not crazy! You know what you're saying is a lie. How could you put a perfectly sane person in a mental hospital?"

He glared at me, his eyes filled with hostility. "You're not helping your case."

"I just want to help you. I want things to be the way they were before we were adopted!" The tears in my eyes continued to shed freely, yet did nothing to reflect the agony that tore me up inside. "I'd do anything just to see you smile again."

"Sedate her."

Darkness consumed me.

* * *

On the headline of _Tokyo Today_ read:

DUEL MONSTERS CHAMPION YUGI MUTOU VICTORIOUS AT KAIBACORP'S BATTLE CITY TOURNAMENT see page 3

TEEN POP SENSATION ESHE TUTANKHKA ADMITTED TO TOKYO MENTAL HOSPITAL FOR OCPD see page 5

* * *

**_Is that too much that I asked him for?_**

* * *

-owari-

* * *

**OCPD:** I chose Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder for the headline based on Eshe's, well, obsessive fixation with Seto and Gozaburo's impact on Seto, etc. (along with her stubbornness and moral overconscientiousness) even though she does not by any means show all of the symptoms for OCPD. Does that mean that Eshe is mentally unstable? You decide. On one hand, Eshe could be an unreliable narrator. On the other hand, Seto Kaiba could easily get her admitted to a mental hospital based on the 'records' he has of Eshe dialing his number, even if it's only a temporary fix. But since this story ends here and does not cover any of the aftermath, you have to decide for yourself.

**Please let me know what your thoughts were on this story.**


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